Multiple string tubing hanger constructions



Oct. 6, 1964 -w. w. WORD, JR., ETAL ,89

MULTIPLE STRING TUBING HANGER CONSTRUCTIONS Filed June 9, 1961 4 Sheets Sheet 1- A l 9 Ill 9 6 2 y 0 8 3 a 5 I u x E 4 2 6 I l 9 a w M 2 H 6 M 0 H I Q III! I 5 6 3 5 0w @720 Q .0 W 9 n 0 6 NH 2 III 4 w 2 Z w 5 0 Oct. 6, 1964 w. w. WORD, JR.. ETAL 3,151,392

MULTIPLE STRING TUBING HANGER CONSTRUCTIONS Filed June 9, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS W/LL/AM W. W020,Je.

: BY QAUL ATTORNEYJ Oct. 6, 1964 w. w. WORD, JR., ETAL 3,

MULTIPLE STRING TUBING HANGER CONSTRUCTIONS Filed June 9, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. W/LL/AM W W020, J12.

BYPAuL E. 5/ E A TTORNEY? Oct. 6, 1964 w. w. woRb, JR" ETAL 3,151,392

MULTIPLE STRING TUBING HANGER CONSTRUCTIQNS Filed June 9, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fig. 9

//5 9 //7 //4 //l u I //9 #61 /20 f I I /09 fig. 10

INVENTORJ mLL/AM W WozzzJz. BYPAuL E. BI EL A TTORNEY5 United States Patent 3,151,392 MULTIPLE STRING TUBlNG HANGER CONSTRUCTIONS William W. Word, In, and Paul E. Biclrel, Houston, Tex,

assignors to Armco Steel Corporation, Middietown,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 9, 1961, Ser. No. 115,957 7 Claims. (Cl. 285-137) This invention relates to well head constructions and particularly to improved tubing hanger arrangements therefor. While not limited thereto, the invention is particularly applicable to multiple string tubing hanger constructions useful in multiple well completions where pressure control equipment such as blowout preventers is used during the completion cycle of the well.

In many wells it is desirable to suspend the tubing strings in tension to assure a straight vertical bore to facilitate the passage of bottom-hole tools, etc., therethrough and to assure, during the subsequent pumping cycle, that wear due to the reciprocal motion of the rod string will be minimized. In these applications the wells are usually equipped with a packer mechanism anchored to the bottom of the well into which the lowermost portion of the tubing string is latched, after which the upper end of the tubing string is raised to its final or permanent point of suspension.

Prior art workers have proposed many types of well head constructions wherein a tubing string depends from a support member seated on a shoulder or like fixed support provided by a hanger member. While many of these constructions have met with success in actual practice, the fact that the support member must be seated on a fixed portion of the hanger, and therefore cannot be passed downwardly through the well head and then returned to its original position, makes it impossible to set the tubing string or strings in tension in the well when such constructions are employed. Accordingly, various improvements in such constructions have been proposed to allow the tubing string support member to be passed through the hanger while the tubing is being set in tension. One particularly useful example of such an improved well head construction is described in copending application Serial No. 802,104, filed March 26, 1959, by Claude R. Neilon. In that device, the hanger accommodates two tubing support members and has an enlarged, central passage portion through which the support member for the string first run into the well can pass, so that the first string can be set in tension. Even with such an improved arrangement, however, in most applications only the first string can be hung in tension because, once the first tubing support has been landed in the hanger, there is no longer adequate room for the second support member to pass through into the well.

In order to provide for hanging any or all of at least wo tubing strings in tension, it has been proposed that the tubing support or supports be seated on adjustable hanger elements which can be retracted to allow free passage of the support when desired. Such an arrangement is disclosed, for example, in US. Patent 2,934,148, issued April 26, 1960, to Frank B. Allaire. In such constructions, the hanger member is provided with a large bore capable of freely passing all of the tubing supports involved, and a plurality of hanger elements known as rams are provided in such fashion that the rams can be moved radially of the tubing into and out of supporting engagement with the support member. Such a construction has presented numerous difiiculties. Thus, it is obvious that the rams must be not only positively supported in the well head in such fashion as to be capable of carrying the great weight of the tubing string but also must be adequately guided during their movement into tubing supporting position in order to assure proper engagement with the support member. Also, it is obvious that the mere presence of the rams and the necessary means for actuating them complicates the problem of providing a proper fluid-tight seal within the tubing head.

it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved well head construction of the type referred to wherein the tubing string support members are seated on members which are movable laterally with respect to the tubing string and can be retracted to allow the support members to pass through the tubing head.

Another object is to provide, in such a construction, laterally movable supports of improved construction which are supported, confined and actuated in an improved fash- 1011.

A further object is to provide a tubing hanger construction of the particular type referred to wherein sealing is accomplished in a simple but highly effective manner without requiring that the laterally movable supports be sealed within the member which carries them.

In order that the manner in which these and other objects are attained, in accordance with the invention, can be understood in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view, with some parts shown in elevation, of a dual string tubing head and hanger means constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Fi 1A is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a hanger body locating means employed in the apparatus of PEG. 1;

PEG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2, FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of support members employed in the apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 viewing one support member from its inner end and FIG. 4 viewing another from its outer end;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a modified form of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, taken on line 6-6, FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of a modified form of support member and actuating screw useful in the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the actuating screw fully engaged with the support member, and

FIGS. 9 and 10 are fragmentary vertical sectional views, similar to FIG. 5, of additional modified forms of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and first to FIGS. 1-4, it will be seen that the well head construction here illustrated comprises a tubing head member I having a vertical cylindrical bore 2 interrupted by a transverse annular inwardly directed shoulder 3. A unitary hanger member 4 is employed, being cylindrical and having at its bottom edge a shoulder 5 adapted for engagement with shoulder 3 so that the hanger member can be fixedly supported on head member 1. The hanger member is provided with two tubing string-accommodating passages indicated at 6 and 7, FIG. 2, passages 6, 7 being identical, vertically extending, plain cylindrical bores spaced from each other along a diameter of the transverse cross-section of hanger member 4.

A pair of coaxially aligned, horizontally extending, support-accommodating chambers, in the nature of bores 3 and 9, are provided in hanger member 4, the bores 8,

9 being opposed across vertical bore 6 but offset from the center of bore 6 toward the center of the hanger member. Both bores 8, 9 open outwardly through the cylindrical wall of hanger member 4 but, inwardly of the hanger member, stop short of intersecting with vertical bore 6. Thus, at its inner end, bore 8 terminates in a flat transverse end wall 11) disposed at right angles to the axis of bore 8, and there is similarly provided a flat transverse end wall 11 at the inner end of bore 9, wall 11 being at right angles to the axis of bore 9. Wall is interrupted by a generally rectangular passage 12 which opens both into bore 6 and bore 8. Passage 12 has fiat vertical end walls and flat horizontal side walls, the latter each being interrupted in its central portion by a horizontal groove centered on the common axis of bores 8, 9. As seen in FIG. 2, the horizontal dimension of passage 12 is slightly smaller than the diameter of bore 8. Wall 11 is similarly interrupted by a passage 13 of generally rectangular transverse cross section, communicating between bores 9 and 6.

Slidably disposed in bore 8 is the cylindrical main body portion 14 of a movable lateral member 15, serving as a support member. Member 15 has a iiat outer end face 16, FIG. 3, with which is engaged the tip of an actuating screw 17, FIG. 2, the threads of screw 17 being engaged with the internal threads of a bore 18 extending through boss 19 appropriately provided on the body of the head member 1, and the outer end 21 of screw 17 being exposed so that the screw can be turned with a wrench or the like. The outer end of body portion 14 is cut away or chamferred at 21 to allow member 15 to move outwardly for a substantial distance without engaging the wall of bore 2. The inner end of body portion 14 is provided with a plurality of recesses 22 each accommodating a helical compression spring 23, FIG. 3. Springs 23 are disposed with their ends engaging wall 16, on the one hand, and the bottoms of recesses 22, on the other. Accordingly, springs 23 urge member 15 outwardly against the tip of screw 17.

At its inner end, movable support member 15 is provided with an integral, axially projecting tip 24 which extends freely through passage 12 so that, when member 15 is forced inwardly by screw 17, tip 24 projects into bore 6. Thus, tip 24 has an axial dimension which, at least in the region of the common axis of bores 8, 9, is longer than is passage 12. The transverse cross-section of tip 2 4 is rectangular, the horizontal length of the rectangle being only slightly less than the corresponding dimension of passage 12, so that the vertical side walls of tip 24 are slidable with respect to the vertical side walls of passage 12. In the vertical direction, tip 24 is materially smaller than is passage 12, as will be clear from FIG. 1. The end face of tip 24 is provided with an arcuate portion 25 so positioned as to be concentric with bore 6 when member 15 is actuated to its innermost position, as seen in FIG. 2. A'relatively small diameter bore is provided in hanger member 4 in such manner as to extend between the flat top face 26 of the hanger member and lateral bore 8. As seen in FIG. 1, this small diameter bore accommodates a stop pin 27 which projects into bore 8 to limit outward travel of member 15.

A movable support member 28 is carried in bore 9 and an actuating screw 29, identical with screw 17, extends through a bore 30 in boss 31 of head member 1 to engage the fiat outer face 32 of cylindrical main body portion 33 of member 28. Body portion 33 fits slidably within bore 9 and has a flat inner face directed toward wall 11. Like member 15, member 28 has longitudinal recesses 34, shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1, which open toward wall 11 to accommodate suitable biasing springs (not shown) corresponding to springs 23. At its inner end, member 28 has an integrally formed axially projecting tip 35 which extends freely through passage 13, tip 35 having an arcuate end face portion 36 so positioned as to be concentric with bore 6 when member 28 is in its innermost position, as in FIG. 2. At its outer end, body portion 33 is chamferred at 37, FIG. 4, so as to allow outward travel of member 28, when screw 29 is retracted, to cause withdrawal of tip 35 from bore 6. A stop pin 38, projecting into bore 9, is provided in the same manner hereinbefore described with reference to pin 27, so as to limit outward travel of member 28.

Hanger member 4 is also provided with a second pair of horizontally extending, support-accommodating bores 39, 4t opposed across vertical bore 7, as seen in FIG. 2. Coaxially aligned, bores 39, 41) are ofiset from the center of bore 7 toward the center of member 4. Save for the positions and cooperation with bore 7, bores 39 and 41B are identical with bores 8 and 9, respectively. A movable support member 41, identical with member 15, is slidably disposed in bore 39. A movable support member 42, identical with member 28, is slidably disposed in bore 49. Actuating screw 43 is provided to accomplish inward movement of member 41, springs 44 biasing member 41 outwardly. Actuating screw 45 is provided to move member 42 inwardly against the bias afforded by springs 46. Member 41 has an integral tip 47 projecting through passage 43 and provided with arcuate end face portion 49 which is concentric with bore 7 when member 41 is in its innermost position. Member 42 has an integral tip 50 projecting through passage 51 and provided with arcuate end face portion 52 positioned to be concentric with bore 7 when member 42 is in its innermost position. Stop pins (not shown) for members 41 and 42 are provided as hereinbefore described with reference to pins 27 and 38.

From FIG. 2 it will be noted that bores 8 and 39, while coaxial with bores 9 and 48, respectively, are of substantially smaller diameter than bores 9 and 41). Thus, there is a substantial portion of the body of hanger member 410- cated between bores 8 and 39, providing room for the hanger member locating means illustrated in FIG. 1A. The locating means serves the usual function of orienting hanger member 4 rotationally within head member 1 so that the two tubing strings accommodated by bores 6, 7 will occupy predetermined positions and the Christmas tree attaching means will line up properly with respect to bolt holes 53 in the top flange 54 of the tubing head. In addition, the locating means assures that bores 8, 9, 39 and 413 will be properly aligned with the respective ones of actuating screws 17, 29, 43 and 45. The locating means comprises a cam slot, indicated generally at 55, FIG. 1A, in the outer surface of member 4, a locator screw 56 which extends radially through the wall of head member 1, and a spring-biased latch pin 57 carried by hanger member 4 and engageable beneath the tip of screw 56.

Cam slot 55 includes a vertical top portion 58 centered between bores 8 and 39, and a downwardly and outwardly flaring lower portion 59. Screw 56 is threaded in a suitable bore 61 and has a cylindrical tip portion which projects into bore 2. In assembling the well head, hanger member 4 is lowered in such fashion that the tip of screw 56 enters lower portion 59 of the cam slot. The flaring walls of portion 59 of the slot then coact with the tip of screw 56, as member 4 descends, to orient the hanger member to a position such that the tip of screw 56 is engaged in vertical top portion 58 of the cam slot. While the walls of lower portion 59 flare to a wide, open mouth at the bottom of the hanger member, it will be understood that the width of slot portion 58 is just sufiicient to accommodate the tip of screw 56. Pin 57 is depressed by the tip of screw 56, as the hanger member is lowered, and then snaps into the latching position seen in FIG. 1A.

The two tubing strings (not shown) to be supported from hanger member 4 are equipped with identical support couplings, referred to in the art as hanger mandrels one of which is illustrated at 61, FIGS. 1 and 2, Each s,151,ss2

member 61 is in the form of a cylindrical tube, threaded interioriy at its lower end for attachment to the tubing string and at its upper end for attachment to a handling joint. The length of member 61 is substantially greater than the axial dimension of hanger member 4, and the outer diameter is slightly less than the diameter of bores 6, 7. Intermediate its ends, member 61 is provided with a transverse annular downwardly facing shoulder 62, FIG. 1. in this particular embodiment, shoulder 62 is provided by making member 61 with a longer upper portion 61 of larger outer diameter and a shorter lower portion 61 of smaller outer diameter. The outer diameter of lower portion 61 is made such that, when the lower portion of one of the members 61 is disposed in bore 6 and screws 17, 29 are operated to move support members 15, 28 to their innermost positions, the arcuate face portions 25, 36 oi tips 24, 35, respectively, are brought into close proximity to the cylindrical surface of lower portion 61 the innermost positions of members 15, 28 being determined by abutment of end faces 14 and 33 with end walls 19 and 11, respectively. Accordingly, shoulder 62 then seats on the flat top faces of tips 24, 35. Similarly, when one of the members 61 is disposed with its lower portion 61 in bore 7, members 41, 42 can be actuated in like manner, and shoulder 62 of the member 61 seats on the flat top faces of tips 47, 59.

Above hanger member 4, there is disposed in bore 2 a packer unit 63 comprising lower rigid member 64, upper rigid member 65 and a compressible sealing member 65 disposed between members 64, 65. Each of members 64 66 is provided with a pair of bores, to accommodate the two support members 61, so that, when members 64-66 are roperly assembled in the apparatus, such bores Me aligned vertically with pass-ages 6, 7. Lower member 64 has a flat bottom face adapted to seat on the flat top face 26 of member 4. Upper member 65 is provided at its top with a peripheral bevel 67. A plurality of packer energizing screws 68, each having a tapered tip, are operatively disposed in radial bores in top flange 54 of the tubing he -d 1 in such manner that the screws can be operated to cause their tapered tips to engage bevel 67, forcing member 65 downwardly and so compressing member Such compression of the sealing member forces the same into fluid-tight contact with the wall of bore 2 and the outer cylindrical surfaces of upper portions 61 of support members 61.

Assembly and operation of the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and just described will now be explained, assuming that lower flange 69 of head member 1 has been properly attached to the next lower member, normally the casing head (not shown). Actuating screws 1'7, 223, 43 and are retracted, so that the biasing springs associated with the movable support members 15, 23, 41 and 42 force those members outwardly in their respective lateral bores until the outward motion is terminated by the stop pins, the tips 24, 35, 47 and 5b therefore being completely withdrawn from passages 6, 7. Packer energizing screws 68 are also operated to withdraw their tips completely from bore 2. Hanger member 4 is now lowered into bore 2 until shoulder 4 is seated on shoulder 3, the guide means comprising cam slot 55 and locator screw 56 serving to orient the hanger member to that position in which the lateral bores 3, 9, 39 and 49 are axially aligned with the respective ones of screws 17, 29, 43 and 45. The guide means also serves to assure that the rotational position of passages 6, 7 will be such that, when the Christmas tree is lowered for attachment to flange 54, with member 61 properly oriented with respect to the Christmas tree, the Christmas tree attaching means will be lined up with bolt holes 53. T he first tubing string is now run into the well via either one of the passages 6, 7, and it will be assumed that the first string is run through passage 6, one of the support members or hanger mandrels 61 is attached to the top of the last tubing joint of the string and therefore enters passage 6 as the tubing string is lowred.

At this stage, it may be desirable either to hang the tubing string temporarily or to lower it to such an extent that the member 61 passes through the hanger member. Hanging of the string is accomplished by operating actuating screws 17 and 29 to force members 15 and 28 inwardly, against the opposing force of the respective biasing springs, until the end faces 14 and 33 contact walls 10 and 11, respectively. It will be understood that operation of the actuating screws is accomplished while shoulder 62 is still above the tips 24 and 35 of members 15 and 28 respectively. Further descent of the tubing string will therefore result in shoulder 62 positively seating on the fiat upper faces of tips 24 and 35. The entire weight of the tubing string is now supported from hanger member 4 via the two movable support members 15, 28. Such support involves transfer of the weight of the tubing string to the hanger member via tips 24 and 35 and body portions 14 and 33, it being understood that the body portions are in substantially flush engagement with the walls of lateral passages 8 and In this embodimeet, there is no transfer of force directly from tips 24 and 35 to the hanger member since the lower edges of passages 12 and 13 are not disposed in engagement with tips 24 and 35.

Assuming that it is necessary to lower the tubing string still further, as is the case when the string is to be attached to a down-well packer, for example, and then subsequently hung in tension, a handling joint is attached to the top end of the member 61, screws 17 and 29 are then retracted, allowing the biasing springs to move members 15 and 23 outwardly, withdrawing completely tips 24 and 35 from passage 6, and the string is then lowered, with the upper, larger diameter portion 61 of the member 61 passing freely through the now-uninterrupted passage 6. Assuming that the tubing string is then attached to the down-well packer or the like, the handling joint connected to the member 61 is raised sufliciently to bring shoulder 62 again above tips 24 and 35. Actuating screws 17 and 29 are then again operated to force members 15 and 2S inwardly until end face portions 14* and 33 again respectively engage end walls 19 and 11. The member 61 is then allowed to descend until shoulder 62 seats on tips 24 and 35.

The second tubing string can then be run into the well through passage 7 in precisely the same fashion described with respect to the first tubing string, employing a second one of the members 61. It will be understood that, when the second string is finally hung, shoulder 62 of the second member 61 will be seated on the flat top faces of tips 47 and 59 of the laterally movable support members 41 and 42, respectively. Accordingly, the force applied by the weight of the second tubing string is transferred to hanger member 4 via contact between the main body portions of members 41 and 42 and the walls of bores 39 and 46, respectively.

The packer unit 63 is then installed, packer energizing screws 68 being operated to force upper member 65 downwardly and adequately compress the sealing member 66. As will be clear from FIG. 1, the fluid-tight sealing engagement between the now-compressed member 66 and both the walls of bore 2 and the outer surfaces of the two members 61 is eiiective to provide all the seals made necessary by use of hanger member 4. In this regard, it will be understood that the actuating screws 17, 29, 43 and 45 are all of a conventional design and each involves a packing 7i) compressed by a packing energizing nut 71, FIG. 1. Thus, escape of fluid via the threaded bores which accommodate the actuating screws for members 15, 28, 41 and 42 is avoided.

With the packer unit 63 properly installed, the Christmas tree assembly can now be attached to flange 54 of the tubing head in the usual fashion.

While, in the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 14, the tips of the actuating screws for the laterally movable support members engage the outer faces of the main bodies of the support members in simple face-to-face contact, the invention may employ other suitable arrangements of these particular parts. Thus, as seen in FIGS. and 6, each actuating screw can be provided at its inner tip with a transverse circular flange 72. In this embodiment, the hanger member is provided with a downwardly opening, vertically extending recess or groove 73 communicating with the lateral bore 74 accommodating support member 75. The outer end portion of member 75 is provided with a downwardly opening, vertically extending slot 75 of such width as to receive and accommodate the flange 72 on the tip of the actuating screw, the slot 76 being defined in part by an end wall portion 77 having a downwardly open ng, vertical slot 78 of a width just sufficient to accommodate the tip of the actuating screw. Slots 76 and 78 are maintained in vertical position by reason of the fact that the tip portion 79 of member 75 is disposed in the corresponding passage 80 in the hanger member. A stop pin 81 is provided to be engaged by the outer surface of member 75, in the same fashion hereinbefore described, so fixing the normal horizontal position of slots 76 and 78. Groove 73 in the hanger member has a flat, vertical inner wall 82 adapted to be engaged by the face of flange 72.

As will be clear from FIG. 5, once the hanger member is lowered into the bore of the tubing head sufficiently to bring wall 82 opposite flange-72, the actuating screw can then be operated to bring flange 72 into engagement with wall 82. With member 75 urged against stop pin 81, by the biasing springs 83, slot 76 is maintained precisely aligned with flange 72. Therefore, further descent of the hanger member will cause flange 72 to enter slot 76 and therefore be engaged behind wall 77, so that the actuating screw is effectively attached to the support member 75 and is now operative to positively move the support member not only inwardly but also outwardly. This embodiment accordingly provides means whereby the member 75 can be positively forced outwardly in the event the member 75 becomes frozen in its lateral bore of the hanger member, a circumstance wherein the springs 83 would be ineffective.

It will be understood that the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 is used in conjunction with guide means, such as that hereinbefore described with reference to FIG. 1A, and that the guide means is efiective to so orient the hanger member that the actuating screw will be vertically aligned with respect to slots 76 and 78.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate another alternative arrangement for the laterally movable support members and their actuating screws. Here, the laterally movable support member 84 is provided, at its outer end, with a recess indicated generally at 85, the bottom 86 of which protrudes outwardly in frusto-conical form. Within the body of member 84, portion 87 of the recess 85 is cylindrical and of larger diameter. The recess 85 has an open circular mouth 88 so that an annular transverse shoulder 89 is provided.

Actuating screw 90 has an open cup-shaped cylindrical tip portion 91. The diameter of the cylindrical wall of tip portion 91 of the actuating screw is sufiiciently small that the tip portion can enter recess 85 and engage the frusto-conical bottom surface 86 of recess 85. Accordingly, inward actuation of screw 90 will first bring tip portion 91 into engagement with bottom 86 of recess 85, so that further inward movement of the actuating screw will shift member 84 to its innermost position, in which position the member is stopped as will be understood from the description of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. Once member 84 has been stopped in its inward motion, further inward actuation of screw 90 will cause tip portion 91 thereof to be deformed outwardly by reason of its contact with the frusto-conical bottom surface 86 of recess 85 as seen in FIG. 8. Once such de formation of tip portion 91 has been accomplished, retraction of screw 90 will bring the now-deformed tip portion 91 into engagement with shoulder 89, so that further retraction of the actuating screw will result in outward movement of member 84 until that member reaches the outermost position. Again, it will be understood that member 84 is stopped in its outermost position, as by rovision of a stop pin in the manner hereinbefore described with reference to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-4, or by provision of a stop ring as hereinafter described with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 9. Once member 84 has been stopped in its outermost position, further retraction of screw 9% will cause tip portion 91 theref to be withdrawn through mouth 88 of recess 85, it being understood that such withdrawal is accompanied by inward deformation of the wall of tip portion 91 so that the tip portion 91 is returned substantially to its original form, as seen in FIG. 7.

PEG. 9 illustrates still another actuator screw and sup port member combination in accordance with the inven tion. Here, the hanger member is again provided with a lateral outwardly opening bore, indicated at 92, to receive the movable support member 93. Bore 92 terminates at its inner end in a transverse end wall 94, a straight-Walled passage of rectangular transverse cross-section extending through wall 94, passage 95 opening into vertical bore 95. Member 93 includes a cylindrical transversely enlarged portion 97 which is slidably engaged with the cylindrical wall of bore 92. A helical compression spring 98 of fiat metal stock is disposed between portion 97 of member 93 and end wall 94.

At its inner end, member 93 has an integral, axially projecting tip portion 99 of rectangular transverse crosssection. Tip portion 99 has flat bottom, top and side Walls and is so dimensioned and positioned as to he slidable in passage 95, advantageously with its bottom Wall directly engaging the bottom wall of passage 95. The axial dimension of tip portion 99 is such that, when the inner end of the main body of member 93 engages end wall 94, tip portion 99 projects into vertical bore 96.

Member 93 is also provided with an interiorly threaded axial bore 1th) facing the open outer end of bore 92. An actuator screw 191 extends through radially extending interiorly threaded bore H92 in the wall of head member 103, the screw including a threaded portion 1414, engaged with the threads of bore 102, and a threaded tip portion 195, engageable with the threads of bore 160 in member 93.

At a point spaced outwardly from wall 94 by a distance less than the axial length of tip portion 99, the wall of bore 92 is provided with a transverse annular groove which retains a snap ring 196. Ring 1% projects inwardly into bore 92, so as to constitute a stop engageable by portion 97 of member 93 to limit outward travel of member 93. With screw 161 retracted, spring 98 biases member 93 into engagement with ring 156. With member 93 engaging ring 106 and therefore occupying its outermost position, tip portion 99 is completely Withdrawn from vertical bore 96 but a part of portion 99 still remains in passage 95 so that member 93 is prevented from rotating. Assuming that actuator screw 101 is retracted to such an extent as to be completely out of engagement with member 93, it will be clear that rotation of the screw in the proper direction will advance the same until the tip of the screw enters bore 100, whereupon threaded portion 105 engages with the threads of bore and further inward advance or" the actuator screw moves member 93 inwardly against the biasing effect of spring 98. The screw threads of portions 164 and 1G5 are of dhferent pitch, so that, during retraction, rotation of the screw positively withdraws member 93 for at least a material distance before threaded portion disengages from the threads of bore 1%.

In this embodiment, the support member or hanger mandrel 1137 is again provided with a circularly extending transverse annular shoulder 198 which faces downwardly and seats on the fiat upper face of tip portion 99 to accomplish hanging of the tubing string extending through vertical bore 96. It will be noted that, because of the close sliding fit of tip portion $9 in passage 95, at least a material part of the force applied by the weight of the tubing string is transferred to the hanger member by direct contact between the bottom face of tip portion 99 and the bottom wall of passage 95.

Turning now to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10, it will be observed that the hanger member 199 is provided only with a single lateral bore 119 which opens outwardly and accommodates a laterally movable support member 111 which is constructed in the same general fashion hereinberore described with reference to FIG. 3. Hanger member 169 has a vertical passage 112 to accommodate the tubing string and in which is disposed the vertical support member or hanger mandrel 113. Member 113 has an outer diameter only slightly less than the diameter of vertical passage 112. At a suitable point spaced from the lower end thereof, member 13 is provided with a transverse annular groove 114, the upper side wall 115 of the groove lying in a plane at right angles to the axis of member 113 and the lower side wall 116 of the groove slanting downwardly and outwardly. Tip portion 117 of the laterally movable support member 111 projects through passage 118 which communicates between bores 111) and 112. Tip portion 117 has the same general shape as tip portion 24, 516. 3, but is provided at its free end with a downwardly facing slanting surface 119 disposed at approximately the same angle as lower wall 116 of groove 114.

In operation, the actuator screw 12%), which is associated with support member 111 in the same manner hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1-4, is operated to move member 111 inwardly to such an extent that the end face of tip portion 117 will lightly engage the surface of vertical support member 113. The vertical support member is lowered through passage 112 until groove 114 is lined up with tip portion 117. The actuator screw 129 is then further operated to move member 111 inwardly, with the end face of tip portion 117 accordingly engaging the bottom wall of groove 114. Further inward operation of screw 12% moves member 111 inwardly to force the vertical support member 113 laterally into engagement with that portion or the wall of passage 112 disposed diametrically across from member 111, as seen in FIG. 10. Thus, in this particular embodiment, the single member 111 provides a horizontally extending seat for engagement by upper side wall 115 of groove 113 and so accomplishes vertical support of member 113 and the tubing string attached thereto. Further, the supporting engagement is made positive by the fact that the member 111 is employed to accomplish positive lateral contact between the side wall of the vertical support member 113 and the Wall of the hanger member bore which accommodates the same.

It will be understood that, during actual use of the apparatus, member 111 may become frozen in lateral bore 111) to such a degree that the biasing springs 121 will not be efiective to move member 111 outwardly and retract tip portion 117 from vertical passage 112 after the actuator screw has been retracted. Should that occur, however, upward movement of the vertical support member 113 will cause the slanting lower wall 116 of groove 114 to engage surface 119 of tip portion 117 so that the member 111 is cammed outwardly as member 113 moves upwardly through the hanger member.

With respect to the specific embodiments illustrated in FIGS. -10, it is to be understood that only those parts necessary to explain differences from the embodiments of FIGS. l-4 have been illustrated and described. Save for the differences explained, the embodiments of FIGS. 5-10 are to be understood as including the balance of the construction seen in FIGS. 1, 1A and 2.

It will be noted that, in all of the embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein, the laterally 1b movable support members, such as members 15, 28, 41 and 42, FIG. 2, are all carried Wholly within the hanger member and that this is true for all of the operational positions of the support members. Thus, it is unnecessary to provide lateral bores in the head member to accommodate the laterally movable support members, the overall construction is accordingly highly simplified, and the need for special sealing arrangements is eliminated.

While particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention have been illustrated, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications in the construction shown are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a multiple string wellhead construction, the combination of a head member having a vertical bore therethrough;

a hanger assembly comprising an independent, unitary hanger member of such cross-sectional shape and dimensions as to substantially fill said bore, said hanger member and said head member having cooperating shoulder means for support of said hanger member on said head member when said hanger member is inserted downwardly into said bore,

said hanger member having a plurality of vertical tubing string accommodating passages and a plurality of lateral chambers, each of said chambers opening both inwardly, into one of said tubing string accommodating passages, and outwardly, toward the wall of said bore of said head member when said hanger member is supported therein, and

a plurality of lateral members each siidably disposed in a different one of said chambers and provided with an inner end portion having an upwardly directed supporting surface, each of said lateral members being wholly supported by said hanger member and movable between an outer position, in which the lateral member is wholly disposed within its respective one of said chambers, and an inner position, in which said inner end portion thereof projects into the corresponding one of said tubing string accommodating passages;

a plurality of tubing string supporting members each dimensioned for free axial passage through one of said tubing str ng accommodating passages when said lateral members occupy said outer positions,

said tubing string supporting members each having exterior downwardly facing shoulder means adapted to seat upon the corresponding upwardly directed supporting surfaces of said lateral members when the latter occupy said inner positions; and

actuating means for selectively and independently moving said lateral members into said inner positions, for support of the corresponding ones of said tubing string supporting members, and into said outer positions, to clear said tubing string accommodating passages for free movement of the corresponding tubing string supporting members therethrough,

said actuating means comprising actuating members carried by said head member and sealed thereto in fluid-tight relation. 7 2. A multiple string wellhead construction in accordance with claim 1, and wherein each of said lateral chambers includes an outwardly opening bore having its inner end spaced outwardly from the wall of the corresponding tubing string accommodating passage, and

an opening through the Wall of the tubing string accommodating passage, said opening communi- 11 cating between the tubing string accommodating passage and said bore, said inner end portion of each of said lateral members being aligned with, and dimensioned to be accommodated by, the corresponding one of said openings. 3. A multiple s ing wellhead construction in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said tubing string accommodating passages each include a Wall portion opposed across the tubing string accommodating passage from one of said lateral chambers,

said tubing string accommodating passages, said tubing string supporting members and said lateral members being so dimensioned that, when said lateral members are in said inner positions, said inner end portions thereof force said tubing string supporting members each into engagement with the corresponding one of said wall portions. 4. A dual string wellhead construction in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said hanger member is provided with two of said tubing string accommodating passages and four of said chambers,

said chambers being arranged in pairs with the chambers of each pair aligned with each other across a diiierent one of said tubing string accommodating passages, each pair of said chambers including a chamber of smaller transverse dimension and a chamber of larger transverse dimension, said chambers of smaller transverse dimension being disposed side-by-side, the wellhead construction further comprising guide means operative to orient said hanger member rotationally within said bore of said head member to operatively position said chambers with respect to said actuating members,

said guide means comprising cooperating parts carried by said head member and said hanger member, the portion of said guide means carried by said hanger member being disposed between said chambers of smaller transverse dimension. 5. A multiple string wellhead construction in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said actuating means comprises a plurality of spring means each engaged between a portion of said hanger member and one of said lateral members to bias said lateral members toward the wall of said bore of said head member when said hanger assembly is disposed in said head member,

said actuating members each having an end face engageable with the corresponding one of said lateral members to drive the same inwardly, toward the associated one of said tubing string accommodating passages. 6. A multiple string wellhead construction in accordance with claim 1 and wherein said lateral chambers are each defined by walls including straight, horizontally extending portions at the top and bottom of the chamber, each of said lateral members being in direct sliding contact with said top and bottom wall portions of the corresponding one of said chambers, 7. In a multiple string wellhead construction, the combination of a head member having a vertical bore therethrough; a hanger assembly comprising an independent, unitary hanger member of such transverse cross-sectional shape and dimensions as to substantially fill said bore, said hanger member and said head member having cooperating shoulder means for support of said hanger member on said head member when said hanger member is inserted downwardly into said bore,

said hanger member having a plurality of vertical tubing string accommodating passages and a plurality of lateral chambers, each of said chambers opening both inwardly, into one of said tubing string accommodating passages, and outwardly, toward the wall of said bore of said head member when said hanger member is supported therein, and

a plurality of lateral members each disposed in a difierent one of said chambers and having an inner end portion including an upwardly directed supporting surface,

said lateral members each being movable between an outer position, in which the lateral member is wholly contained within its respective one of said chambers, and an inner position, in which said inner end portion thereof projects into the corresponding one of said tubing string accommodating passages,

each of said lateral members being disposed in direct sliding engagement with upper and lower wall portions of its respective one 01": said chambers,

a plurality of tubing string supporting members each dimensioned for free axial passage through one of said tubing string accommodating passages when said lateral members occupy said outer positions,

said tubing string supporting members each having exterior downwardly facing shoulder means adapted to seat upon the corresponding upwardly directed supporting surfaces of said lateral members when the same occupy said inner positions;

actuating means for selectively and independently moving said lateral members into said inner positions, for support of the corresponding ones of said tubing string suspending members, and into said outer positions, to clear said tubing string accommodating passages for free movement of the corresponding tubing string supporting members therethrough,

said actuating means comprising a plurality of actuating members equal in number to said chambers, said actuating members being carried by said head member and sealed thereto in fluidtight relation;

guide means operative to orient said hanger member rotationally within said bore of said head member to operatively position said chambers with respect to said actuating members,

said guide means comprising cooperating parts carried by said head member and said hanger member; and

a seal device insertable downwardly into said bore of said head member above said hanger member for sealing between said head member and the outer surfaces of said tubing,

said seal device and said sealed actuating members coacting to seal the interior of said head member against upwardly directed fluid pressure, whereby seals need not be provided between said lateral members and the walls of said chambers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,212,036 Otis Aug. 20, 1940 3,004,778 Williams Oct. 17, 1961 3,020,069 Word Feb. 6, 1962 3,127,197 Kretzchmar Mar. 31, 1964 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,227,765 France Mar. 7, 1960 850,498 Great Britain June 14, 1961 

1. IN A MULTIPLE STRING WELLHEAD CONSTRUCTION, THE COMBINATION OF A HEAD MEMBER HAVING A VERTICAL BORE THERETHROUGH; A HANGER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN INDEPENDENT, UNITARY HANGER MEMBER OF SUCH CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY FILL SAID BORE, SAID HANGER MEMBER AND SAID HEAD MEMBER HAVING COOPERATING SHOULDER MEANS FOR SUPPORT OF SAID HANGER MEMBER ON SAID HEAD MEMBER WHEN SAID HANGER MEMBER IS INSERTED DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID BORE, SAID HANGER MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL TUBING STRING ACCOMMODATING PASSAGES AND A PLURALITY OF LATERAL CHAMBERS, EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS OPENING BOTH INWARDLY, INTO ONE OF SAID TUBING STRING ACCOMMODATING PASSAGES, AND OUTWARDLY, TOWARD THE WALL OF SAID BORE OF SAID HEAD MEMBER WHEN SAID HANGER MEMBER IS SUPPORTED THEREIN, AND A PLURALITY OF LATERAL MEMBERS EACH SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS AND PROVIDED WITH AN INNER END PORTION HAVING AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED SUPPORTING SURFACE, EACH OF SAID LATERAL MEMBERS BEING WHOLLY SUPPORTED BY SAID HANGER MEMBER AND MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OUTER POSITION, IN WHICH THE LATERAL MEMBER IS WHOLLY DISPOSED WITHIN ITS RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS, AND AN INNER POSITION, IN WHICH SAID INNER END PORTION THEREOF PROJECTS INTO THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID TUBING STRING ACCOMMODATING PASSAGES; A PLURALITY OF TUBING STRING SUPPORTING MEMBERS EACH DIMENSIONED FOR FREE AXIAL PASSAGE THROUGH ONE OF SAID TUBING STRING ACCOMMODATING PASSAGES WHEN SAID LATERAL MEMBERS OCCUPY SAID OUTER POSITIONS, SAID TUBING STRING SUPPORTING MEMBERS EACH HAVING EXTERIOR DOWNWARDLY FACING SHOULDER MEANS ADAPTED TO SEAT UPON THE CORRESPONDING UPWARDLY DIRECTED SUPPORTING SURFACES OF SAID LATERAL MEMBERS WHEN THE LATTER OCCUPY SAID INNER POSITIONS; AND ACTUATING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY MOVING SAID LATERAL MEMBERS INTO SAID INNER POSITIONS, FOR SUPPORT OF THE CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID TUBING STRING SUPPORTING MEMBERS, AND INTO SAID OUTER POSITIONS, TO CLEAR SAID TUBING STRING ACCOMMODATING PASSAGES FOR FREE MOVEMENT OF THE CORRESPONDING TUBING STRING SUPPORTING MEMBERS THERETHROUGH, SAID ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING ACTUATING MEMBERS CARRIED BY SAID HEAD MEMBER AND SEALED THERETO IN FLUID-TIGHT RELATION. 